


Heroes Don't Always Wear Scars

by Leni



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Professor Neville Longbottom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 04:52:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8651713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: Another first year starting life at Hogwarts.





	

**Author's Note:**

> still-searching prompted: 'enough'

The boy hunched his shoulders, weighed by the disappointed glances of the adults accompanying him. The lecture could be heard across the train station, loud reminders to watch their magic and not make more of a fool of themselves than they already were.

In response, the eleven-year-old shrunk further into his robes.

"Enough," interrupted a dark-haired man before the tirade could start again.

The parents looked up, eyes widening as they recognized him. "Professor Longbottom...."

"Yes, yes. An honor to meet me, I know," Neville said impatiently, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder and retracting it when he cringed in answer. He held onto his temper, intimately aware that some children scared easily when someone was angry even if it wasn't their fault. "Don't worry about... Alcor, isn't it?"

The boy looked up, obviously shocked that someone in the Hogwarts staff already knew his name.

Neville smiled at the boy, then turned to his parents, making sure they understood what he said next wasn't a suggestion. "Like I said, don't worry about Alcor. It'll be no trouble to escort him to the train myself."

Since Professor Longbottom was a reknown war hero, the parents agreed without hesitation.

"Come," Neville said more softly, guiding the boy to the compartment most of the first years had already claimed as their own. "Are you nervous, Alcor?"

"N-no, sir."

Neville nodded as if it had been a silly question. "All right. But a lot of the children you meet today will be," he told him confidentially, "so remember that being nervous is not a bad thing."

"It isn't?"

"Of course not. It means you are aware that danger is real. That can be useful too." Then he paused, remembering his own first year. In hindsight, they were all lucky to have survived it. "But please come to a grownup if you actually find something dangerous. We will deal with it, I promise."

Alcor stared at him.

"Not that there's anything dangerous at Hogwarts!" Neville rushed to reassure the child.

And breathed in relief that, these days, that wasn't a lie.

 

The End  
24/11/16


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